Things to do when traveling to Whitby Pier and Pier Road, in this pleasant North Yorshire town.
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Posted On :
Oct-19-2011
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Article Word Count :
784
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Whitby on the North East Coast of England, has been a tourist destination for over a hundred years. Whilst this historical town can offer visitors it's quaint and rustic charm, Pier Road on the West Side of the harbour boasts many modern attractions.
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Whitby in the county of North Yorkshire is positioned on the splendid North East coastline. This small ancient fishing harbour, famous for its ancient past with regards to Whitby Abbey and Captain Cook, is a natural harbor and as such is adaptable for all sorts of seafaring activities.
There has been a sharp rise in tourism over the previous 30 years. In Victorian times, Whitby was a well known spa town, and people came from all over the country to partake of the waters, and the clean seaside air. However, today the variety and quanity of activites in the town has increased significantly, catering for all age ranges and preferences.
The town of Whitby still retains the West Cliff area with its attractive gardens, Captain Cook's Statue and the Whalebone Arch, which is reminiscent of times past. However, there has been an increase in the more modern 'up to date' amenities required of the younger generation on Pier Road.
Whilst not too intrusive on the overall feel of the historical port of Whitby, the amusement parks located at the far end of Pier Road play their particular role in the entertainment factor of slot machines, bingo, small fairground rides and crazy golf. The council has authorized those already running but made a stipulation that they may not increase in number further along the road. This generally seems to strike a happy balance taking into consideration the need for traditional holiday areas alongside the exciting bright lights, bingo calling and cuddly toys. Battery Parade, that is located at the far end of Pier Road, has small fairground rides created for younger kids, set up in the summer months.
The bandstand at the commencement of the West Pier is a popular venue for bands and the Folk Festival dancers and musicians. Many charitable organisations hold 'fairs',tombolas and book stalls around this area in the summer months. Opposite to the bandstand there is the Old Whitby Lifeboat Museum and gift shop. Originally built in 1895 to house the town's lifeboat, it was decommissioned in 1957 and turned into the museum it is today. Admission is free although donations are gratefully accepted. It holds a wide variety of memorabilia chronicling the historical rescues off the coastline of Whitby, together with a history of the crews concerned. The Robert and Ellen Robson old lifeboat, displayed, was constructed in 1919. This was the very last rowing lifeboat in service from 1947 - 1957.
The Whitby Yacht Club licensed premises, is immediately behind the Old Lifeboat Museum. This is a social club for yachting visitors and also local people. However, this is not the only licensed premises along Pier Road. You'll discover both traditional public houses, and a number of newly opened contemporary drinking establishments along this busy and popular street.
As predicted, there are numerous 'fish and chip' cafes and restaurants to cater for the ever popular local fish dishes. Many people travel miles to sample the traditional Whitby favourite of 'cod and chips', although nowadays the fayre has expanded to include locally caught haddock, plaice and mackerel (when in season). Its not just the restaurants and cafes that cater to the choices for seafood. There are stalls alongside Pier Road which sell crabs, prawns, mussels, winkles, shrimps and roll-mops.
No seaside town would be complete with out a fortune-teller and indeed, at the end of Pier Road there is a well established such lady, who has a white booth on the corner with St. Anne's Staith. She's a clairvoyant and spiritualist by the name of Lee Ester Alita Lee.
Regrettably Whitby's Fish Market closed down recently, alongside this building is a traditional tea stall, that serves favourites such as hot-dogs and bacon sandwiches. Lastly, however more importantly for the kids, there is a stall selling the all important buckets and spades for the beach. The stall also sells a wide variety of small toys, and little nets for catching crabs and fish in rock pools.
Pier Road is a lively part of Whitby, enjoying the constant flow of tourists walking to and fro alongside the harbour to the slipway of West Cliff beach. On Regatta Monday, Pier Road is shut down to traffic to allow the 'fair to come to town'. Fairground rides are assembled from the end of the West Pier up to the bandstand, and the rest of the road is full of stalls selling anything from towels, clothing, handbags, cuddly toys, hot dogs and the latest novelty toys. The transformation is astounding for the just one day of the year. The following day the road is returned to normality and is 'business as usual'.
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Article Source :
http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Things to do when traveling to Whitby Pier and Pier Road, in this pleasant North Yorshire town. _94274.aspx
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Travel Tips
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